Crank-shaft and sprocket-wheel connection therefor



(No Model.)

W. GHARTERS. Y URANK SHAFT AND SPROCKET WHEEL CONNECTION THEREPO'R.

Patented Sept. 21,1897.

u: mums crus co, noomam msnmoww n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

VILLIAM CHARTERS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CRANK-SHAFT AND SPROCKET-WHEEL CONNECTION THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,430, datedSeptember 21 1897. Application led February ll, 1897. Serial No.622,901. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern;

Beit known that I, WILLIAM CHARTERS, a

citizen-of the United States of America, and

a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCrank-Shafts and Sprocket-Wheel Connections Therefor, of which thefollowing is a specification.

rl"his invention relates to an improved construction of acrank-shaft andthe equipments therefor and the combination therewith of conjunctiveparts, as the cranks and a sprocketwheel, the mechanism and parts beingadvantageously available in bicycles and analogous vehicles andmachines.

The objects of the invention are to provide anovel mechanism of thecharacter indicated which shall be simple, inexpensive, and practicable,easy of assemblage, and easily taken apart for cleaning, repair, orreplacement of any part, and which mechanism, while susceptible of beingmade very light, is also eX- tremely strong and secure againstderangement or distortion in use. l

The invention consists in the constructions and combinations of parts,all substantially as will hereinafter fully appear, and be set forth inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figurel is substantially a central sectional view through the crank-shaftbracket, the crank-shaft, cranks, sprocket-wheel, and ball-bearing partsof a bicycle. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the peculiarly-constructedcrank-shaft and one crank integral therewith. Fig. 3 is a view of theother crank constructed in a special way to be united with thecrank-shaft. Fig. 4 is an outer face view of the middle portion of thesprocket-wheel. Fig. 5 is a face view of a split nut to be hereinafterreferred to. Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

In the drawings, A represents the crankshaft hanger or bracket, which isin the form of a cylindrical shell internally screw-threaded at both itsends, as at ct, receiving therein the annular ball-cases B B2, which areexternally screw-threaded.

C represents the crank-shaft, having at one end the integrally-formedcrank D and provided at its other end with the outwardlyextendingcircular liange b, which Is in the form of an outwardly-opening shallowcup, the circular wall lO of the cup being internally threaded, as seenat 12.V The said wall lO has at its edge the seats or` sockets x. Thecrank-shaft has formed or affixed thereon in a usual way the cones d d,between which and the ball-cases B B2 are the balls f.

The second crank D2 has on its inturned inner portion'l the circularflange g, which G represents the sprocket-wheel, the cen-4 tral or hubopening in which is of a diameter to'closely t about the periphery ofthe aforesaid cup-flange of the crank-shaft. The

sprocket-wheel has at its hub, at its outer side, portions n, preferablyin the form of lugs, as shown, which extend in radial arrangementinwardly over the face of the crank-flange g,

and the screws or bolts Mare passed through these lugs h and the flangemembers g and Z2 of the crank D2 and crank-shaft C. Said projections n nengage between the ribs or lugsv 'stitute an oil-reservoir, and has thescrew plug or cap h, which closes the outer end of thisreservoir-chamber and which4 when removed permits the entrance of oil.Outside 'of the cones the crank-shaft has the rather small perforations0 0. A capillary cord If is contained in the oil-reservoir fm, its endportions protruding outwardly through and beyond the perforations o o,being knotted, as indicated at 16 16, to prevent the wick-cordextremities from being drawn inwardly, and also that lthe portions ofthe wick-cord com- IOC prised in or outside of the knots will bear onand supply oil to the balls.

Both sets of ball-bearings are adj usted by properly turning theright-hand ball-case, which screw-engages in the end of the bracket, andthe bearings are maintained locked in their adjustment by the sleeve-nutu, which screws onto the threaded outer end portion of the ball-case,which protrudes outwardly be* yond the end of the bracket and is broughtto a hard seat against the bracket end.

It is preferable to employ the screw-plug 7i to close the end of theoil-chamber in the crank-shaft, but this is not absolutely necessarybecause the end of this chamber will be closed by the circular iiange onthe inturned end of the removable crank, which flange screws into thecup-flange of the crank-shaft which surrounds the mouth of theoil-chamber, but the employment of the screw-plugis preferable, as itincreases the security against oil leakage and obviates the necessity ofeX- crcising care in assembling the parts after the oil-chamber has beeniilled.

In order to provide a construction which will permit the entrance of oilinto the oilchamber 'm without removing the crank D2- andsprocket-wheel, a duct o is provided leading through the stock whichconstitutes the junction between the crank D and the crankshaft C, whichis closed by the removable screw-plug t2.

Having now described vmy invention, what I desire to secure b y LettersPatent isl. The combination with the cylindrical bracket or supporthaving ball-cases, of the cone-provided crankshaft, equipped at one endwith a crank, and having its other end formed with the cup-flange, andthe second crank provided at its inner inturned end with the circularange, set in said cup-ange of the crank-shaft, the sprocket-wheel havingits apertured middle portion fitted about the crank-shaft cup-liange andhaving the inwardly-projecting portions which overlie the face of saidcircular crank-flange, the screws which pass through saidinwardly-projecting portions of the sprocket-wheel, and both the crankand crank-shaft flanges, and the balls, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the cylindrical bracket or support havingball-cases, of the crank-shaft, having the cones, equipped at one endwith a crank, having its other end formed with the cup-flange, andhavingthe chamber, opening to said cup-Hanged end with perforations leadingthrough the wall of said chamber, and the second crank having its innerend inturned and provided with che circular flange which is set in andremovably screw-connected with said cup-flange of the crank-shaft, andthe balls, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the crank-shaft having the cup-iiange b with theseats of the crank D2 having on its inturned end the flange g, providedwith the paired lugs 11, 11, the sprocket-wheel having the projections n'n adapted to have engagement in said seats and between said lugs l1,l1, and means for confining the sprocket-Wheel and flanged partstogether, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the crank-shaft having the cup-iiange b, of thecrank D2 having on its inturned end the flange g constructed to screwinto the cup-iiange and provided with the paired lugs or lips 11, 11,the sprocket-wheel having the projections fn n engaging between saidlips 1l, and means for confining the sprocket-wheel againstdisengagement, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CHARTERS.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, M. A. CAMPBELL.

